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“Faith
Mutants” By
Pastor Tim Hodge A
Restoration Ministries E-Thought for the week of 04.06.05 General
Text: Principle
Text: INTRODUCTION: The society of our day has a lot of ideas about “mutants.” These ‘mutants’ are altered beings that may look normal, but they have some type of altered ability, gift, or power. The media is riding this wave of enthusiasm by promoting movies such as the X-Men, television programs such as Mutant X, and there are tons of different types of toys. Many of our long-time super heroes are types of ‘mutants.’ After being bitten by a radioactive spider Peter Parker mutates into Spiderman. Dr. David Banner is juiced up by the gamma rays and, when angered, becomes the Incredible Hulk. The list goes on. This ‘mutant’ thing is very popular. A search on Yahoo for “mutants” gave 1,970,000 web links. A search for “mutant” on Google revealed 8,390,000 Internet sites. Mutants may look normal on the “outside” but they have some secret mutated ability. Though this ‘mutant’ concept is a type of sci-fi and borderlines evolutionary concepts I would like to look at the possibility of believers having a faith that may go beyond the “normal” faith of the popular consensus – a ‘Faith Mutant.’ In the general text for this treatise we find Moses and the children of Israel poised and ready to enter into the Promised Land. The hand of God has supernaturally delivered them from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They send 12 spies (one man for every tribe of Israel) into this land promised to their father Abraham and for forty days they check out this place. They return with fruit from this land as a witness to how blessed it is. They have a cluster of grapes so big that it takes two men who are carrying it draped across a shepherd’s staff. Yet, as the scenario unfolds 10 of the 12 spies cast seeds of DOUBT in the minds of the people. They tell Moses, “Yes, it is a land flowing with milk and honey. Everything is just as you said. NEVERTHELESS…” (Numbers 13:27,28). They then proceed to embellish in the minds of the people how there are giants in the land, the ground opens up and swallows people, and of a surety, they are not able to go and take this place (13:32). In the midst of this negative, faith-impeding, portrayal there were two men who were of a ‘different breed’ – Joshua and Caleb. They were ‘faith mutants’! Their hope, expectancy, desire, passion, and drive had ‘mutated’ beyond that of their death-speaking companions. Caleb attempted to calm the people as he voiced his affirmation of God’s ability to take the land (13:30), as did Joshua (14:6-9). Unfortunately, the 3.5 million people sided with the “evil report” (13:32) of the ten and a whole generation missed the potential of God’s plan for their lives. For the next forty years they paid the price of not believing God as, one by one, a whole generation (those 20 years-old and upward – except for Joshua and Caleb) died in the desert (14:29,34). I will take the next few moments to highlight certain attributes of God’s “Faith Mutants” who, as Caleb, have a ‘different spirit.’ SIGNIFICANCE! God’s “Faith Mutants” understand their personal significance. They are confident in who they are in God! The truth is, they LOVE themselves. They may be different, peculiar, and, according to some, just plain WEIRD. They don’t need to walk like everyone else in their generation. They don’t need to wear the popular styles (though they may). They are not driven by media like so many in our culture are (clothes, terminology, hairstyles, cars, activities, etc). “Faith Mutants” know who they are in God and boldly live a life that shines with His creative grace! The 10 spies with the “evil” report said, concerning the giants in the land, “We are as grasshoppers in their sight.” In the next chapter Joshua said the children of Israel could “eat the people of the land as though they were bread.” In other words, if we are ‘grasshoppers’ then we are a mutated breed of giant-eating grasshopper (Numbers 14:9). We may “look” like others, but we don’t live like others! We “Faith Mutants” understand our personal SIGNIFICANCE in God’s scheme of things. WE
WILL NOT DIE WITH YOU IN THE WILDERNESS! Faith mutants refuse to die in the wilderness. The generation Joshua and Caleb were born into died in the wilderness after forty years of meandering around. That was the punishment placed upon that generation because of their unbelief. Yet, Joshua and Caleb were blessed to enter into the Promised Land. If we pause to think over the past forty years of American history what will we find? Here are just a few: · Prayer and God has been taken out of schools. · Rise of Rock-N-Roll that has led to decrepit music (promoting ungodly sexuality, vulgarity, etc). · The legalization of abortion. · The continual increase in drug use and abuse. · The birth of the sexual revolution. · The catapulting of materialism. · The degradation of the church/religious structure as an impacting feature in our country (i.e. the struggle of the Ten Commandments as a part of American law). · The abasement of morals. · The abasement of the respect of life through the media (our culture is numb to blood, gore, and death because of movies, prevalent images through the news, etc.). “Faith Mutants” refuse to succumb to this prevailing mindset of this present generation. We refuse to die in the wilderness. On the contrary, we will stand for the things of God and see a generation come to God that we will be pivotal in leading them into the Promised Land of God’s fulfilled Word and Will for this land! Not
Age Reclusive Or Inclusive! Faith mutants know how to walk in FRESH OIL ANOINTING (Psalms 92) and can produce in their Old Age (i.e. Caleb at 85 yrs of age still felt 40). Many may think “Faith Mutants” would be “young” and “radical”, but this has nothing to do with “chronological age”. It has everything to do with a person’s passion. What we have a passion for we will pursue. Whether you are 15 years-old or 85 years-old it is a matter of WHAT you really WANT! Forsaking
Mother, Father, and Everything For The Sake Of Christ! Faith mutants are totally committed to God and nothing else inhibits pursuing his purposes. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram died because of their “religious-minded revolt”. Korah was the instigator (Numbers 16:22). Numbers 16:27, 32 tells of how the ground swallowed up everything and everyone that pertained to these men... wives, sons, and little children. However, Numbers 26:11 states that Korah’s sons did not die. Why? I believe it is becaue they refused to side with the father in his religious based politics. “Faith Mutants” will not die with a rebellious generation. Are you a “FAITH MUTANT”? Don’t tell me what you want to be. Show me what you’re doing! That’s the proof! |